Mario Roatta

Mario Roatta (2 February 1887-7 January 1968) was a general of Italy who fought in World War I, the Spanish Civil War, and World War II.

Biography
Mario Roatta was born on 2 February 1887 in Modena in the Kingdom of Italy. He joined the Italian Army in 1906 and was made a Second Lieutenant, serving as a staff officer during World War I. From 1934 to 1936, having been an attache to Poland, he was the leader of Italy's intelligence service. Roatta took over the Corps of Volunteer Troops when they were sent to Spain in September 1936 to assist the Nationalists under Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. He commanded the Italians at the Battle of Guadalajara in March 1937, a victory for the opposing Republican army. Ettore Bastico replaced him as commander due to the defeat, and in 1939 he served as an attache to Nazi Germany. In 1942 he replaced Vittorio Ambrosio as commander of the Italian 2nd Army during World War II and he took part in the occupation of the Balkans alongside German and other Axis troops. He was responsible for the internment of 30,000 people and he stole the homes of people related to Slovene partisans for the families of Italian soldiers, and under his command, Chetniks killed 543 Catholics and Muslims that harbored partisans in October 1942. In November 1943, a month after Italy surrendered to the Allied Powers, he was dismissed from his post due to his war crimes. In 1945 he escaped from captivity and he died in Rome in 1968.